Analysing the Business - Model of trafficking in human beings to better prevent the crime

Analysing the Business - Model of trafficking in human beings to better prevent the crime

The purpose of this study is to assist the OSCE Office of the Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings to identify theoretical support to explain the social and economic factors behind human trafficking. The aim is also to facilitate the implementation of a holistic preventive strategy and help identify knowledge gaps.

The study provides a comprehensive description of the economic and social organisation of human trafficking and its modus operandi. It explains decisions individuals take while conducting a cost-benefit analysis to justify their actions. It finds that traffickers are a very heterogeneous group and that there is only limited information available about them. Women are increasingly involved in trafficking, playing a prominent role in both the organisation and the trafficking process. Victims, irrespectively of their background, usually have one thing in common: They find themselves in vulnerable situations in which they, at some point, lose control over their self-determination and become victims of trafficking.

The study provides recommendations and guidelines for decision makers, civil society and other concerned actors on the effective prevention of human trafficking.